Tag: Samantha Barks

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Highlights: Ramin Karimloo & Samantha Barks in CHESS

Ramin Karimloo and Samantha Barks in CHESS
Ramin Karimloo and Samantha Barks star in CHESS in Osaka. #perfection
Samantha Barks sings ‘Nobody’s Side’ in CHESS
I loved working with Samantha in CHICAGO in LA at the Hollywood Bowl. What a knockout talent! And the most down-to-earth person you’d ever want to meet. And Ramin is, well, Ramin. It’s a proven impossibility for me to listen to him sing anything just once. The cast also features Luke Walsh and Takanori Sato.
Ramin Karimloo sings ‘Anthem’ in CHESS
I have a slight obsession with this musical. I saw the original production in London starring Elaine Paige and Tommy Körberg, both of whom delivered gorgeous performances. That production ran three years. The Broadway production fared less well as Trevor Nunn attempted to ‘fix’ the show. And he fixed it into a flop. But the gorgeous score remained including a new song for the leadling lady Florence in the form of “Someone Else’s Story.” Tony Award nominee John Herrera starred in the first U.S. national touring company along with Carolee Carmello and Stephen Bogardus (I can’t believe I know them all) which attempted to re-fix the show again. Part of the problem with the show was it was written during the Cold War with Russia. As the world moved past that political impasse, it’s now hard to make that aspect of the story play. If you head over to Wikipedia, there’s an extensive breakdown of the history of the show and the many attempts to bring it to the level of success so many of us want to see. In any case, the score (by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus) remains a glorious thing. Lucky Osaka… For now, we have this:

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Photo gallery – CHICAGO the Musical in performance at Hollywood Bowl

Last set of pictures from my little adventure back into “CHICAGO-land.” Some backstage snaps and some bits of the show in performance.

Thanks for taking the ride with me.

The cover of the Entertainment section of the LA Times

Ashlee Simpson, Samantha Barks, Randy Slovacek - with a photobombing Stephen Moyer
Backstage with Ashlee Simpson, Samantha Barks and Stephen Moyer,
who I found out is a serial “photobomber” 🙂

Opening day after final dress rehearsal – entire cast and creative team of CHICAGO at the Bowl

With Drew Carey backstage

With the dapper Stephen Moyer backstage
Backstage with the luminous Lucy Lawless

Closing night party pic with the fab Brooke Shields, our director

Michael gets his pic with Brooke Shields

Stephen Moyer and Anna Pacquin with MIchael Caprio at closing night party of CHICAGO
We LOVE True Blood at our house.  Michael was beside himself that he got this pic
with Stephen Moyer and Anna Pacquin at the closing night party

Samantha Barks as “Velma Kelly” in CHICAGO

Courtroom scene of CHICAGO – me “swearing in” Drew Carey

“We Both Reached For the Gun” with Ashlee Simpson and Stephen Moyer

Samantha Barks and company – “All That Jazz”

“Razzle Dazzle” with Stephen Moyer

“After 47 years, a Cook County precedent has been shattered…”
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“All That Jazz” from CHICAGO at the Hollywood Bowl

Here’s the opening number from CHICAGO the Musical at the Hollywood Bowl opening night.

Samantha Barks and the company in “All That Jazz.”

I appreciate that someone posted it, although I wish they’d pulled back a bit so you could the whole number as the directors intended.

But here you go… 🙂

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Video: Interviews and dancing from CHICAGO the Musical at the Hollywood Bowl

A sneak peak at rehearsal’s and one-one-one cast and creative team interviews for The Hollywood Bowl’s production of CHICAGO.

Brooke Shields, Stephen Moyer, Ashlee Simpson, Samantha Barks, Lucy Lawless all give interviews to Broadway World about this weekend’s performances at the Bowl.

Plus, there are a few short clips of a couple of the production numbers from the show. Hit around the 18 minute mark for Brooke Shields and some “All That Jazz” footage.

Yes, you can see a bit of me in there 🙂

From BroadwayWorld